Department of Biology & Biochemistry, Unit Catalogue 2008/09 |
BB30168 International field course: experimental field ecology |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Honours |
| Semester: 1 |
| Assessment: CW100 |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take BB20041 |
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(This unit will take place shortly before the start of the academic year) Aims: During their time at Bath, students on Biology courses develop a broad framework of knowledge collected from a wide range primary research sources. The 10-14 day International Field Course offers direct experience of species-rich biological systems beyond the UK, thereby providing a broad real-world context to their studies and improve their employability. Although the emphasis will be on designing and executing experiments in the field, the students will also have the opportunity to work in diverse ecosystems such as tropical rain forests, deserts, bushveld, etc. Specifically, they design and perform hypothesis-driven science: a field-based experimental test of evolution, behaviour and ecology. Learning Outcomes: After taking this course the student will be able to: * Explain how evolutionary/ecological theory is developed and supported by data collected from natural systems. * Explain the need for (and benefits of) detailed planning and group cooperation in relation to undertaking biological fieldwork outside the UK. * Describe the wider world contexts in which their biological knowledge is founded. * Design and implement a short field-based investigation that will contribute to their understanding conservation biology. * Use statistical methods to analyse their data and produce a detailed Investigative Report. Skills: Learning and studying T/F/A, Written communication T/F/A, Oral communication T/F/A, Numeracy & computation T/F/A, Laboratory skills T/F, Information technology T/F, Problem solving T/F, Information handling & retrieval T/F/A, Working independently T/F, Career preparation T/F. Content: Individually and as part of the group, students will... * Plan, fund-raise and implement travel to study site. * Establish the demesne of the study site and use GPS to plot a basic map of the key areas. * Undertake a general descriptive investigation of the biome and use source material to produce preliminary report on its key structural and biological features. * Experience a broad range of field methods for obtaining different classes of information from the biome. * Design, plan and discuss a field-based experiment within the biome. * Archive, manage, manipulate and analyse field data. * Make a presentation of the results of the field study during the Course. * Produce a report of the field study in a form suitable for scientific publication. |